Lessons
by The Late BenneyC
Summary: Lu Xun and his student are suddenly thrown into a lesson neither of them expected


I'm so twisted up in knots, trying to write Romance of the Orbs. My Yue Ying muse has turned into a real monster. She's so... demanding, and she threw me a curve ball in Chapter five.... but anyways I felt like trying to relieve my writing needs by doing this short little action scene.  
  
I really like my character Ko Bian... but he was never suppose to appear in any of these fics. I don't wanna make a Mary Sue.  
  
Lu Xun stood still as stone on the practice field. He held his blades low and listened to the wind. With eyes closed he heard the rustle of leaves, the sound of a near by stream, and the song of birds. He could feel the soft dirt under his bare feet, and the sunlight shining on his bare chest. The day felt pleasant and cool. It seemed he was in paradise.  
  
  
  
But paradise was shattered by the falling of a white blade. It was the thunderbolt in a clear day. The whistling of steel against air reached Lu Xun's ears only seconds before the sword struck his open flank.  
  
  
  
"Good, you almost had me that time," Lu Xun's blade came up to block the struck as he stepped forward with the other to hold it to his opponent's unprotected throat. He smiled at his new apprentice.  
  
  
  
Ko Bian swallowed slightly, staring at the blade, "You... you seemed so lost in thought, master."  
  
  
  
"You must learn to read your opponent. While my face appeared at rest, the rest of my body was tensed up, ready for an attack."  
  
  
  
"Yes Master," Ko Bian bowed, then glanced at the approaching figures, "It seems we have guests."  
  
  
  
The group consisted of five men, all heavily armed. The look in the head man's eyes was not one of friendship. He raised his blade and pointed it at Lu Xun.  
  
"Lu Xun! We challenge you."  
  
"All five of you?" Lu Xun smiled slightly and held his blade to his side. Ko Bian noted that he appeared much as he did when the student thought him 'at rest.'  
  
"Do not think you can trick us with your words! You have defeated our master and now we shall destroy you," the five had reached the practice field and were barreling down on the Wu officer.  
  
"Oh, bandits. You remember when Gan Ning and I came across their base, don't you?" the strategist did not appear to care that in only a few seconds he would be fighting for his life.  
  
"Yes master...." suddenly Ko Bian's eyes lite up with understanding.  
  
The two turned to back to back and raised their swords. The two began to spin in a circle through the bandits. Lu Xun easily parried a bow and cut a line through one of the men's left arm. In reflex he grabbed a hold of the arm with his right hand, and Lu Xun plunged his sword into the open elbow. A kick sent the man falling into another as a third assalent fell upon him.  
  
Ko Bian dealt with two trying to over power the smaller fighter. Mostly staying on the defensive he kept up with Lu Xun so neither need fear a back attack. This also forced the small group to divide their focus.  
  
Ko Bian slammed the flat of his blade against the shin of one attacker. The man stepped back and received the hilt of Ko Bian's blade square in the nose. he tumbled back, but not before smacking the sword out of the student's hands. He leaped on the ground trying to get the weapon back. A spear appeared at his face and he froze, looking up.  
  
"Well... at least we can kill one Wu brat," the man scowled and spat at Ko Bian. To his credit, the young man did not flinch for a moment.  
  
The man raised his weapon for a kill blow and toppled over.  
  
Lu Xun stood behind him, twin swords washed red. Another man lay face down in the dirt beside him. The other two bandits were racing off into the distance.  
  
"M-master, thank you!"  
  
"Do not worry... we have other things to deal with," the man crossed over to Ko Bian's foe, and kicked his sword away just as the bandit was starting to get back to his feet. he looked up and was kicked in chin.  
  
"Where are your men hiding now?" the Wu Officer's eyes suddenly blazed with anger. He knelt down over the man and placed his swords like scissors over the bandit's throat.  
  
"I will never tell you!"  
  
"Oh?" Lu Xun smiled slightly and squeezed a little with the swords. Blood trickled down his neck.  
  
The man gasped at the pain and closed his eyes, "You will all die."  
  
They were the last words he ever spoke.  
  
Lu Xun cleaned his blades on the ground and looked over at his student, "Well... how shall we proceed?"  
  
Ko Bian bit his lip and looked down at the bandits. All of them were dead and would not be very helpful. They carried little to identify themselves and he could find no clues as to where they had been. He looked up at the trail the other two foes had left in their wake.  
  
"We should follow those two."  
  
"To where?" Lu Xun put up his weapons and stood up straight. Ko Bian responded in kind, feeling the lecture about to come on.  
  
"To.... their camp?"  
  
"Where there shall be plenty of their friends waiting to finish us off."  
  
"Oh. Well..." Ko Bian lowered his head. he suddenly looked up, "We should tell Lord Zhou Yu! Well, I mean one of us should go and inform him of the situation, while the other trails the bandits to their base, and then returns once he finds where they are hiding."  
  
"Very good," Lu Xun nodded in approval, "You shall go and follow the bandits while I return to speak with Lord Zhou Yu."  
  
Ko Bian was so ready to be told to deliver the message that he had already taken a few steps in direction of home. He suddenly stopped and stared at his teacher and superior.  
  
"Me?!"  
  
"Do you not feel you are capable?"  
  
"Uhh... I...." Ko Bian bowed, "I shall do as you command."  
  
"good, now go," Lu Xun smiled to himself as the youth raced off, "Don't get caught! Remember your training."  
  
Wow.... that _so_ was not suppose to become a story with another part. Man! Now I'm gonna have to continue, aren't I? Or is this just a piece of junk and no one really cares. I almost hope for the latter.... 


End file.
